1977 Birmingham Stechford by-election
31 March 1977
Constituency of Birmingham Stechford
  First party Second party
 
Con
Candidate Andrew MacKay Terry Davis
Party Conservative Labour
Popular vote 15,731 13,782
Percentage 43.4% 38.0%
Swing Increase 15.6% Decrease 19.6%
  Third party Fourth party
 
NF
Lib
Candidate Andrew Brons Graham Gopsill
Party National Front Liberal
Popular vote 2,955 2,901
Percentage 8.2% 8.0%
Swing N/A Decrease 6.4%
MP before election

Roy Jenkins
Labour

 Elected MP

Andrew MacKay
Conservative

The Birmingham Stechford by-election, in Birmingham, on 31 March 1977 was held after Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Roy Jenkins resigned his seat following his appointment as President of the European Commission. A seat that had been solidly Labour since its formation in 1950, it was won by Andrew MacKay of the Conservative Party, before being regained by Labour in 1979. The by-election was noted for the strong performance of the National Front candidate and the presence of two far left candidates.[1]

Background

As a leading Labour sitting MP Roy Jenkins had hoped to become Foreign Secretary in the government of James Callaghan but was overlooked in favour of Anthony Crosland.[2] Following this Jenkins was nominated as President of the European Commission in succession to François-Xavier Ortoli, a move which necessitated his departure from Parliament.

Candidates

With the seat being solid Labour Party territory the by-election presented the possibility of a return to Parliament for Terry Davis, who had served as member for the defunct Bromsgrove seat from a by-election in 1971 until its abolition in 1974. Davis however failed to take the seat and began a pattern for the ailing Labour government who also lost the next by-election in Ashfield when David Marquand followed Jenkins to a role in the Commission.[3]

It also left the governing Labour Party without a majority and resulted in a vote of no confidence being issued, although the government won and was able to cling onto power by forming a pact with the Liberals.[4]

The Conservative candidate Andrew MacKay won the election with a majority of nearly 2000, although ultimately he would only hold the seat until 1979 when it was regained for Labour.[5] MacKay would go on to enjoy a long parliamentary career representing a number of constituencies.

The Liberal Party candidate was Graham Gopsill, a Birmingham councillor who finished the by-election in a lowly fourth place. Gopsill would later serve the Liberal Democrats in Droitwich Spa until his death in 2009.[6] He was beaten into fourth by National Front candidate Andrew Brons, a veteran of a number of far right movements and member of the NF National Directorate who eventually became NF chairman in 1980.[7] Other candidates to appear on the ballot were leftists Brian Heron of the International Marxist Group and journalist Paul Foot for the Socialist Workers Party.

Results

Birmingham Stechford by-election, 1977[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Andrew MacKay 15,731 43.4 +15.6
Labour Terry Davis 13,782 38.0 -19.6
National Front Andrew Brons 2,955 8.2 New
Liberal Graham Gopsill 2,901 8.0 -6.4
International Marxist Brian Heron 494 1.4 New
Socialist Workers Paul Foot 377 1.0 New
Majority 1,949 5.4 +12.3
Turnout 36,240
Conservative gain from Labour Swing
General election October 1974: Birmingham Stechford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Roy Jenkins 23,075 57.6 +4.5
Conservative D. Wedgwood 11,152 27.8 -2.4
Liberal Graham Gopsill 5,860 14.6 -1.4
Majority 11,923 29.8 +7.0
Turnout 40,087 64.1 -1.7
Labour hold Swing

References

  1. ↑ Full results Archived 12 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ↑ Rosen, Greg (2001) Dictionary of Labour Biography, Politicos, p. 318
  3. ↑ 1977 by-elections Archived 12 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ BBC News
  5. ↑ "1979 results". Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  6. ↑ Obituary from local Liberal Democrats site Archived 2 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ Duncan Campbell, 'Andrew Brons, the genteel face of neo-fascism', The Guardian 8 June 2009
  8. ↑ "1977 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 12 October 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
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